It is the duty of the department of transportation, by correspondence, conventions, or otherwise, to confer with such departments of other states and the interstate commerce commission, and such persons from states which have no railroad commission, as the governors of such states may appoint, for the purpose of agreeing, if practicable, upon a draft of statutes to be submitted to the legislature of each state, which shall secure uniform control of transportation in the several states, and from one (1) state into or through another state, as will best subserve the interest of trade and commerce of the whole country; and the department of transportation shall include in its annual report to the governor an abstract of the proceedings of any such conference or convention.